-
Hitler Invades and attacks Poland
The September campaign, also known as the 1939 defensive war or the Poland campaign, was a Nazi Germany and Soviet Union onslaught on the Republic of Poland that marked the start of World War II. Timespan September 1, 1939 - October 6, 1939 -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
Britain and France, both friends of the occupied country, declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, in reaction to Hitler's attack on Poland. -
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic, World War II's longest continuous military engagement, lasted from 1939 until Nazi Germany was defeated in 1945, encompassing a significant portion of the war's naval history.
Timespan September 3, 1939 - May 8, 1945 -
Fall of France
After France declared war on Germany, Germany successfully invaded France and Belgium. They followed the same approach as in WW1, passing through Belgium, but this time they were successful, taking just over a month to accomplish it. France was one of Germany's most formidable foes in the war, and dominating it increased Germany's chances of victory. Timespan May 10, 1940 – June 25, 1940 -
Miracle at Dunkirk
The Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and often known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk took place between May 26 and June 4, 1940, and was a World War II evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk in northern France. Timespan May 27, 1940 - June 4, 1940 -
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England, was a military operation during World War II in which the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm defended the United Kingdom against large-scale Luftwaffe raids. Timespan July 10, 1940 - Oct 31, 1940 -
Japan's Invasion of Hong Kong
Starting on December 8, Japan launched air raids over Hong Kong, and on December 18, Japanese troops arrived in Hong Kong. On December 25, Japanese soldiers seized Hong Kong from the British, taking no prisoners and executing soldiers. This was one of the first Pacific battles of WWII, and Britain lost one of its colonies. Timespan December 8, 1941 – Dec 25, 1941 -
Battle of Dieppe
During World War II, Operation Jubilee, also known as the Dieppe Raid, was an Allied amphibious assault on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France. A naval force operating under the protection of Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters landed about 6,050 soldiers, mostly Canadians, supported by a regiment of tanks. -
Italian Campaign
From 1943 to 1945, the Italian campaign, often known as the Liberation of Italy, consisted of Allied and Axis actions in and around Italy. The Joint Allied Forces Headquarters (AFHQ) was in charge of all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and led the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, followed by the invasion of the Italian mainland in September, and the campaign in Italy until the German armed forces in Italy surrendered in May 1945. Timespan July 10, 1943-May 8, 1945 -
Battle of Ortona
The Battle of Ortona, fought in 1943, was one of the most difficult battles that Canadian forces faced during WWII's Italian Campaign. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment's "D" Company was cut up while attempting to fight its way into Ortona at the same time as this destruction was taking place. Timespan December 20, 1943 – Dec 28, 1943 -
D-Day
The Normandy landings took place on Tuesday, June 6, 1944, as part of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. The greatest seaborne invasion in history, codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, took place on June 6, 1944. -
End of War in Europe (Germany surrenders)
On May 7, 1945, at Reims, France, Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, effectively ending World War II and the Third Reich. -
USA drops atomic bombs
On August 9, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, killing between 129,000 and 226,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was the first and only occasion a nuclear bomb was used in a war or armed conflict, and it remains so today.